Role Model - Thomas Dexter Jakes

Darryl Jackson

CWV-101

January 22, 2012

Matthew Hampton

Role Model Review

I will be writing my review about a man I have been watching on TV for quite some time. I respect this man as a real Christian man with high morals and a kind heart. My role model is Thomas Dexter Jakes (Bishop TD Jakes). Bishop Jakes is the Pastor of the mega Church named the Potters House. In this review I will explain the worldview of Bishop Jakes and why I feel he represents this view. I will also compare and contrast the values and actions demonstrated by Bishop Jakes with my own worldview and experiences. I will conclude by explaining if I would or would not choose Bishop Jakes as a role model.

Bishop Jakes was born in South Charleston, West Virginia on June 9th 1957. His Father Earnest Jakes was a janitor and his Mother Odith was an educator. Because of strong Christian up bringing Bishop Jakes knew he wanted to be a Pastor from a very young age but because he had a bad lisp many people thought he would never achieve his goal (Kinzie, 2011) but young Thomas strong faith in God keep him moving towards his goal. The same faith in God Thomas showed as a boy carried over to his adult life and is what helped form his view and belief in God.

Bishop Jakes married his life partner Serita Jamison in 1982 when Bishop Jakes was 24 years old; the couple has five children together. Bishop Jakes a strong advocate of fidelity and abstinence.( Weathers, 2001) He appeared on national television shows speaking out about his religious views regarding appropriate sexual behavior which was sex is only for a man and women in the bounds of marriage. Even though his stance is not a popular one in today society Bishop Jakes will not comprises his values to please people. Bishop Jakes faith in God has brought him from being Pastor of a small Church named Greater Emmanuel Temple of Faith which had ten members when it was founded in 1979 ( Weathers, 2001). He preached what the Bible said and his small church grew to over one thousand members. Knowing he had a bigger vision and a call to help people Bishop Jakes moved to Dallas Texas with about 50 of his loyal members and started the Potters House. He grows that Church to a membership of over 30,000 (Kinzie, 2011), and started a television ministry that reaches millions of people worldwide. Bishop Jakes did not just stand idle thinking he has accomplished his goal, he still reached out to people in need. He founded programs to help feed children in Africa, send drug and alcohol councilors to intercity areas to help addicts, set up shelters for single homeless women with children and helps victims of domestic violence, these are just a few of the community outreaches Bishop Jakes is involved in.

I view Bishop Jakes as a God fearing Christian man